Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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[Herald Interview] Swiss minister urges Korea to widen human rights role
Switzerland and Korea can contribute to peace and security around the world by abolishing the death penalty, phasing out nuclear power and pressing North Korea on human rights, the Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter told The Korea Herald in an email interview. Burkhalter, who is a federal councilor in Switzerland’s foreign ministry, came to Korea to participate in the 2015 OSCE-Asian Conference in Seoul on Monday. The minister said he aims to learn more about security issues in Korea and A
Foreign AffairsJune 1, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Norway stresses state-funded education
Providing selective or comprehensive education benefits has long been a topic of discussion in South Korea. Some say the welfare system should cater to those in need, while others say it should extend to all citizens.Bjorn Haugstad, the deputy minister of education and research in Norway, said that paying for education should remain a duty of the government rather than the parents.“We have always emphasized free education. Providing for education is more about public and government’s responsibil
Social AffairsJune 1, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘High payoffs both driving factor, risk in education’
“No pain, no gain” has long been the mindset of students walking down the grueling path of college and university admission in South Korea. With one’s education status still accounting for much of one’s her career success, students and parents alike often have taken for granted sacrificing their personal hobby and leisure time for hopes of a better future. But a question has been growing in recent years as to whether students are asked to give up too much.“People understand the route to success
Social AffairsJune 1, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Shim urges comfort women day
A South Korean main opposition lawmaker blasted the foreign ministry for objecting moves to seek a U.N.-mandated comfort women remembrance day, out of concerns that it may worsen already frosted ties with Japan. “The foreign ministry appears to be tired of the strained relations,” New Politics Alliance for Democracy Rep. Shim Jae-kwon told The Korea Herald in a recent interview. “They think that putting up something that will gain public attention, like a remembrance day, will continue that kind
PoliticsMay 31, 2015
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[Herald Interview] K-pop, Chinese tourist influx turn Swarovski’s eyes to Korea
The Korean pop culture wave spreading across the globe has even touched the jewelry industry, said Hermann Winkler, senior vice president of sales operations in North Asia at Swarovski. “When you put ‘K (for Korea)’ in front of something, it suddenly works magic,” Winkler said in an interview with The Korea Herald last week. He visited Seoul to speak at the International Luxury Conference 2015 held May 20-21. “And I am definitely hoping for ‘K-crystal’ to be developed. I am sure it will soon bec
IndustryMay 27, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Gugak-pop fusion band SOREA looks to be new face of hallyu
In a world where the international mainstream hip-hop beats of Flo Rida meet the old-fashioned sounds of “janggu,” a Korean traditional drum, local fusion pop band SOREA is striving to take its amalgamation of traditional Korean instrumentation and modern music to new heights. Founded on a musical base of “gugak” (Korean traditional music), SOREA takes traditional Korean instruments such as the gayageum (a zither-like string instrument) and the daegeum (bamboo flute) and mashes them together wit
PerformanceMay 27, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Korean education needs soul-searching’
South Korea should embark on some soul-searching into its education system and find ways to address some of its problems instead of just praising its own accomplishments, said the head of an international group of teachers’ unions.During her stay in Korea to attend the World Education Forum 2015 last week, Susan Hopgood, head of the Education International, pointed to the forum as an example, saying that the event failed to mention any of the current education issues in the country. These includ
Social AffairsMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Education backbone of long-term development’
Often when countries strive for economic prosperity, investments in infrastructure, finance and technology spearhead their agenda. While those sectors are important, Amina J. Mohammed, the special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning, said investing in education was equally, if not more, crucial.“Education is the absolute backbone (of development). It’s fundamental to any society growing,” she told The Korea Herald. Mohammed, formerly a coordinator of t
Social AffairsMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Seoul needs to be wary of Beijing’s duality’
South Korea needs to be cautious about China’s duality in carrying out its external policy, an international relations expert said, noting that Beijing’s diplomacy has increasingly shown an aspect of “realpolitik” and could pose a tricky policy challenge to Seoul.Kim Tae-ho, professor in the department of international studies at Hallym University of Graduate Studies, also stressed that Seoul should marshal its diplomatic assets to “harmonize” its relations with the U.S. and China, and avoid hav
Foreign AffairsMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Agricultural exports need stronger R&D, coherent hansik branding: aT chief
The Korea-China free trade agreement to be formally signed later this year, provides an opportunity for Korean food products to expand into the world’s second largest economy, said the head of the state-run agency to promote agro-food products.“I am confident that food can form a market as huge as electronic devices and automobiles, not to mention its scope for speedy growth,” Kim Jae-soo, president and chief executive of Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp., or aT, said in an interview wit
May 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Rolls-Royce seeks younger, cooler image
Forget about the dark and heavy-body image of Rolls-Royce. The British supercar is now enticing the youth with its customized policies, said Michael Alexander Schneider, general manager of Asia-Pacific at Rolls Royce Motor Cars. “We have a history of 120 years, but we are also very fond of our future. We are giving the brand cooler and luxurious appeals within our lineup, and whatever we do will greatly help the new customer groups,” he said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Sch
MobilityMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Rebuilt Galloper SUVs create demand for ‘dream’ cars
A growing demand for diversity and self-expression is creating new trends in many industries in Korea as its economy matures. The nation’s car industry, long dominated by large domestic carmakers like Hyundai and Kia, is no exception. The latest consumer demand is boosting the sales of foreign cars in Korea. Industry watchers forecast the market share of foreign carmakers in the Korean automotive market will hit a record high of 20 percent by the year-end. It has also created a demand for busine
MobilityMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Herald Philharmonic returning with dynamic repertoire of classical and fusion
Looking to fill the month of May with the varied sounds of comfort and artistic intricacy, conductor Kim Bong-mee is gearing up to lead the newly established Herald Philharmonic Orchestra in its upcoming classical summer performance on Wednesday night. The Herald Phil’s new repertoire will feature a variety of crowd-pleasing musical genres including soulful opera arias to traditional Korean, classic symphonies and some old-school American jazz-fusion. Following its instrumental accompaniment of
PerformanceMay 25, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘N.K. may not put nukes on sub missile'
JEJUDO ISLAND ― North Korea may not place a nuclear warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missile, as the underwater launch goes against the principle that only its supreme leader has “central control” of its nuclear arsenal, a U.S. scholar claimed Friday.Peter Hayes, executive director of the U.S.-based Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, noted that the North’s underwater platform does not have stable means for communication, making it difficult for its ruler Kim Jong-un to
North KoreaMay 22, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Korean culture boon for luxury brands’
South Korea has become the darling of global high-end luxury jewelers, with more people being educated about luxuries on top of its very unique celebration culture, said Francis Srun, managing director of Asia-Pacific at the French luxury jewelry house Boucheron. “The celebration of ‘100-days into the relationship’ culture (where men and women buy and wear identical rings) is very interesting and very promising. We say why not 200 days? 300 days?” Srun said in an interview with The Korea Herald
IndustryMay 21, 2015
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[Herald Interview] S. Sudan to benchmark Korean education
Less than five years since its independence, the fledgling state of South Sudan is looking to use education as the driving force on route to becoming a developed country, the country’s top official in education said.“We want to transform our education into a modern system that meets all the requirements of society. Without education, there can’t be development,” said South Sudan’s Education Minister John Gai Nyuot Yoh. John Gai Nyuot Yoh. (Yoon Min-sik/The Korea Herald)In order to achieve this,
Social AffairsMay 21, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Educating girls ‘way to end poverty’
U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka does not mince words when she talks about the education of young girls. “It is the right thing to do,” she said emphatically during an interview with The Korea Herald at a hotel in southern Seoul on Monday. Mlbambo-Ngcuka is in Korea to attend the World Education Forum 2015 being held in Incheon May 19-22.For the developing and underdeveloped countries around the world, investing in women brings about fundamental changes in society, Mlbambo-Ng
Foreign AffairsMay 20, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Korea-Japan-U.S. ties no zero-sum game’
Despite the strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo and other challenges, the South Korea-U.S. alliance is “more resilient, deeper and broader than ever,” former U.S. ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens said. Concerns persist over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive for a “normal state” and ongoing attempts to undercut the country’s imperial past and previous apologies for wartime atrocities such as its sexual enslavement of Korean women on frontline brothels.This has created tension as S
Foreign AffairsMay 20, 2015
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[Herald Interview] The woman behind success of ‘Crossfire’
Korea-made online shooting game “Crossfire,” the very game behind its Chinese distributor Tencent’s stunning growth in recent years, is seeking to repeat its success story around the world. And the big push is led by the game’s development chief Jang Ina, who played a key role in its Chinese success. “Gaming trends change fast and there is some skepticism about the future of the 8-year-old ‘Crossfire.’ But our originality and know-how cannot be easily replicated,” she said in a recent interview
TechnologyMay 20, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Exploring modern Korea in ancient trappings
Beneath its ultramodern facade, Korea is a country with all the trappings of shamanism and Confucianism, a new book says. In “Contemporary Korean Culture: the Persistence of Shamanistic and Confucian Values and Practices,” coauthors Kim Eun-gi and Choi Joon-sik seek to explain the social fabric and the mindset of Koreans through the lens of shamanism and Confucianism, examining the origins and manifestation of some of the most enigmatic Korean customs as well as their critique. “In the 21st cent
BooksMay 20, 2015